THE imprisonment of three former officials of Anglo Irish Bank for conspiring to hide from the Revenue Commissioners accounts connected to the bank’s then chief executive, Seán FitzPatrick, represents a milestone verdict in Ireland’s long-running banking crisis.

TODAY’S re-enactment of the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetry is the first of 40 historic commemorations across the country in the State’s centenary programme for the 2016 celebration of 1916.

The August bank holiday has historically been one of the most dangerous weekends on Irish roads. There have been 12 deaths and 27 people seriously injured during August bank holiday weekends since 2010. That is a grim statistic.

Team Ireland’s remarkable achievement at the Special Olympics World Summer Games is testament not just to the athletes’ talents and hard work but also to the indomitable human spirit within each one of us to overcome adversity — even in the most straitened circumstances.